Erratum: Can attenuated total internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared be used to understand the interaction between polymers and water? A hyperspectral imaging study

The original article contained errors in a number of symbols within the text. Extraneous characters were added before and after the symbol. The original version is now corrected and is available at https://doi.org/10.1255/jsi.2017.a3.

Can attenuated total internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared be used to understand the interaction between polymers and water? A hyperspectral imaging study

This study investigates the potential use of attenuated total internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT- IR) imaging, a hyperspectral imaging modality, to investigate molecular level trends in the interaction of water with polymeric surfaces of varying hydrophobicity. The hydrophobicity of two categories of polymeric biomaterials is characterised using contact angle (CA) measurements and their relationship with the band area of the OH stretching νs vibration of water over time is presented. This is supported with correlations between CA data and single wavenumber intensity values (univariate analysis). Multivariate analysis of the spectra captured at the OH stretch for all polymers is carried out using principal component analysis to study the spatial variation in the interaction between the polymeric surfaces and water. Finally, a comparison between the univariate and multivariate strategies is presented to understand the interaction between polymeric biomaterials and water. This is a corrected version of the original paper; this corrected version was published on 15 May 2017. Please see Erratum at https://doi.org/10.1255/jsi.2017.a3e.

The Advantages of an Attenuated Total Internal Reflection Infrared Microspectroscopic Imaging Technique for the Analysis of Polymer Laminates

Until recently, the analysis of polymer laminates using infrared microspectroscopy involved the painstaking separation of individual layers by dissection or by obtaining micrometer thin cross-sections. The latter usually requires the expertise of an individual trained in microtomy and even then, the very structure of the laminate could affect the outcome of the spectral results. The recent development of attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) infrared microspectroscopy imaging has provided a new avenue for the analysis of these multilayer structures. This report compares ATR infrared microspectroscopy imaging with conventional transmission infrared microspectroscopy imaging. The results demonstrate that the ATR method offers improved spatial resolution, eliminates a variety of competing optical processes, and requires minimal sample preparation relative to transmission measurements. These advantages were illustrated using a polymer laminate consisting of 11 different layers whose thickness ranged in size from 4–20 μm. The spatial resolution achieved by using an ATR-FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) imaging technique was diffraction limited. Contrast in the ATR images was enhanced by principal component analysis.